Israel kills scores of civilians in Beirut strike

Israel said Sunday that it killed a top Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in the south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. But that claim has not been verified.

It is the first airstrike by Israel on Beirut since agreeing a peace deal, and comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and the Hezbollah group in recent weeks.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the strike had killed at least five people and wounded 28 others.

What else do we know about the Israeli strike on Beirut?

A large plume of smoke has been seen rising from the crowded Haret Hreik neighbourhood, and videos on social media show people gathering near the impact site.

In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Haytham Ali Tabatabai, described as the Iran-backed group’s second-in-command, had been “eliminated.”

“A short while ago, in the heart of Beirut, the IDF attacked the Hezbollah Chief-of-Staff, who had been leading the terrorist organisation’s buildup and rearmament,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X. 

The US had imposed sanctions on Tabatabai since 2016, and had offered a reward for his capture.

In September last year, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the same neighbourhood.

How have Hezbollah, Lebanon reacted to Israeli strike?

Hezbollah confirmed that one of its officials was targeted in the strike, which it said “crosses a new red line,” according to the AFP news agency.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike in a statement, in which he accused Israel of disregarding its end of the ceasefire agreement.

He called on the international community to “intervene strongly and seriously to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people.”

Aoun also called for a halt to any escalation that would see a return of regional tensions, Lebanon’s Information Ministry said.

Why have tensions between Israel and Hezbollah been escalating?

The strike comes as Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks.

Israel and the United States have been pressuring Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, while the Lebanese government has approved a military plan to remove the group’s weapons nationwide by the end of the year.

Israel has said Hezbollah is rebuilding its military capabilities in the south, a claim Lebanon has denied.

The latest airstrikes come just days before the first anniversary of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that was agreed on November 27, 2024.